


Afraid

by AnaHaze



Series: Near x Mello ABCs [1]
Category: Death Note
Genre: Astraphobia, Fluff, M/M, More Fluff, Thunderstorms
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-31
Updated: 2016-03-31
Packaged: 2018-05-30 06:21:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,713
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6412471
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnaHaze/pseuds/AnaHaze
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mello's unable to fall asleep one stormy night. After tossing and turning, he gets up and out of bed. On his way down the hallway, he hears soft crying. Soft crying which is coming from a certain white-haired boy's room.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Afraid

**Author's Note:**

> I began this fan fiction last year. The last edit was on July 17th, 2015. I was so confident that I'd be able to finish it in a few days... But I forgot to continue it. I finished writing this today instead of doing homework.   
> Also, it's not the best quality in the second half... This is also the first piece I've written for AO3, for this ship and for Death Note in general. So... Yea.
> 
> Anyway  
> Enjoy--

A low rumble sounded outside the previously quiet orphanage. It was the dead of the night, the night sky only being illuminated by the occasional flash of blindingly bright lightning across the pitch black sky followed by increasingly loud claps of thunders.

The sudden storm that seemed to appear out of nowhere prevented a certain blonde from drifting off into sleep. He tossed and turned restlessly in his bed, completely unable to get to sleep. With an irritated huff, Mello sat up and swung his legs off the edge of his bed. He silently glided across the floor, opened his door and slipped outside into the dark hallway to make his way into the kitchen to get a drink. He started down the hallway, not really bothering to be quiet since the booming thunder would cover up any noise he could possibly make. 

Despite all the rumbling from outside, a muffled sound caught Mello’s attention. He was about to continue on his way, but hearing it again made Mello stop in his tracks. Was that... crying? He stood in the empty hallway to listen... and, sure enough, that definitely sounded like soft crying. The blonde turned his head, and his eyes widened when he realized who’s room the noises were coming from - that stupid, number-one-in-everything Near. 

Mello contemplated just to keep walking, leaving his rival to cry, but curiosity got the best of him. Hesitantly, the chocolate addict rapped his knuckles on the wooden door and waited for an answer. He got none, though the crying continued. Maybe Near just hadn’t heard him. 

Just as Mello was about to knock again, he got distracted by a flash of lightning which was almost instantly followed by deafening thunder. It was then that it seemed like the crying only got more panicked, but still soft and quiet. Once it did, Mello couldn’t help but knock loudly and shout over more thunder, “Near?”

Suddenly, the crying stopped, or at least got even quieter than it already was, but the albino hadn’t responded even in the slightest. “Near?” Mello tried again, this time reaching for the doorknob to open the door, which wasn’t locked. At first glance around the room, it was completely empty like nobody was here at all. But then the chocolate addict noticed that the comforter on Near’s bed was missing… and so was Near himself.

Quietly and carefully, Mello walked into the room and squinted his eyes in the darkness, spotting the white-haired boy sitting in the very corner of his room..or at least what he assumed was Near. When he saw it jump as a boom of thunder, he instantly knew it was, in fact, his rival.

Mello cautiously approached the trembling, curled up figure that was under the comforter and kneeled down next to it. Now that the blonde was up close, he could easily hear quiet crying once again. “Sheep?” Mello pulled the blanket away as the sight he saw made even him feel horrible, and he hated this boy. The normally emotionless white-haired boy had fear and tears obvious in his eyes, and, to match, his pale cheeks were stained with tears which more delicate tears slid down to join the others. Even the boy’s hair was messier than normal. 

“Hello, Mello,” Near nearly whispered as his hand flew up to his hair, twirling the white curls with his fingers. Despite his try to sound fine, the strain could easily be heard laced in his words.

Mello ignored the boy’s futile effort in trying to seem like he wasn’t just crying. “You’re afraid of a little thunderstorm?” He couldn’t really believe it. He couldn’t believe any of what was happening actually... like the fact that he was sitting this close to Near in the first place without giving any snarky remarks. 

Suddenly it dawned on the blonde that he could use this piece of information to his advantage somehow, couldn’t he? In the very least, he could use it to taunt and tease the sheep endlessly... Maybe even throw off the younger off enough so Mello could finally be number one.

Instead of responding, the younger male looked down in shame with his cheeks tinted rosy pink, another never-before-seen occurrence to Mello. The albino visually flinched when lightning lit up the previously nearly-pitch-black room, but he squeezed his eyes shut as tightly as humanly possible and slapped his hands over his ears when thunder roared loudly. Mello couldn’t even describe the sound that escaped Near’s lips; it was almost like a pleading whimper.

God, how much Mello just wanted to tease Near about this. But he just couldn’t, not when the small boy looked so... so helpless... Even he wasn’t that cold-hearted. “Why’re you afraid, Sheepy? Storms can’t hurt you.”

“I understand that, Mello…” Near murmured almost inaudibly, avoiding eye contact with the older boy next to him. “I just…don’t appreciate them.” With that said, he curled up into a tighter ball with the comforter wrapped around him, so only his head was showing. Though as soon as the next bit of lightening lit up the room, Near was burying his face into said comforter. 

Mello acted impulsively and scooped the small boy into his lap. The blonde hadn’t even realized what he was doing until the loud clap of the thunder made the boy in his arms tremble. “Shhh, s’okay, yeah?” Mello took Near’s old spot in the corner of the room and held said boy close. A calm hand reached up to gently wipe away the tears still streaming down the albino’s cheeks with his sleeve.

Near wasn’t opposing the comforting gestures from the older boy, but it was confusing to say the least. “Why is Mello being kind to Near?” He sniffled quietly. Mello was about to reply then stopped himself. 

Why was he being so nice?

“‘Cause... “ Mello scowled in annoyance when he couldn’t come up with a reason. “I... Ugh, just shut up and be happy I’m helping, Sheep! I don’t need a “reason”!”

Near looked up at Mello, and, despite the tone of the latter, the white-haired boy smiled oh-so softly. “Thank you.” Mello huffed in annoyance and looked away but was suddenly startled by arms wrapping around his neck. Near was now kneeling in his lap and hugging the blonde boy tightly. Said blonde boy’s eyes widened when it registered to him what was happening.

“L-Let go of me and go to sleep..!” Mello was honestly trying to seem threatening, but all he really wanted to was hug back, but no, he couldn’t just hug the person he hates… or who he’s supposed to hate.

Determined to get out of this situation before he did something he would regret, Mello stood up and carried the blanket-covered boy to the bed he was supposed to be in. Though he had to stop halfway there when thunder sounded through the room, causing Near to stiffen and tighten the grip around Mello. Quickly, Mello lied the younger down and pulled the comforter up to his chin. “It’ll be okay, alright? S’just some noise.” He would be lying if he said he didn’t have to resist the urge to press a kiss to Near’s forehead. Don’t judge him! It was just a nice thing to do. Anyone would have the thought to do it too, yeah…? “Go to sleep, Sheepy.”

Lightning illuminated Mello’s face for Near to see just before the former turned to leave. He barely got a step away from the bed before the thunder cracked above the house and a hand latched onto the blonde’s wrist. “M-Mello, please stay.” The albino’s eyes were filled with tears of pure fear again.

“Uhm..” Mello glanced longingly at the door, but when his eyes caught sight of his rival again, all he could do was sign. “Yeah, okay.” 

Near scooted back in the bed and gestured for Mello to climb in next to him. The older boy felt his cheeks burn as he crawled onto the bed and lied down next to his supposed rival. In his mind, he kept making excuses as to why he felt his cheeks heat up. Like that it’s just hot in the room. Yeah. That’s it.

Once Mello was under the covers with Near, Near cuddled up into Mello’s side before the blonde could protest or even react. “H-Hey! What d’ya think you’re doing?” He exclaimed flusteredly. “Get of-” the chocolate addict cut himself off short once he saw Near. That white-haired brat looked so peaceful, even as the storm blared continuously outside. He was cute even. ‘No, not cute. Peaceful,’ Mello told himself sternly. Lightning flashed outside as the blonde internally fought with himself, but Near didn’t notice. He didn’t notice until the thunder came by. Despite being close to Mello, the albino shook slightly. Mello noticed and was quick on his feet, metaphorically.

“Hey, Sheepy, relax,” he hushed. “It’s just some rain. Rain clears up. It’s not like it’ll stay forever, y’know?” A hand reached up and gently played with pale curls, soothing the younger of the two males. “Besides, I’m here. Do you think I’d let you get hurt?” Barely a few moments after he asked, Near was nodding. “Okay, but who would I compete against all the time in you got hurt?”

“Isn’t it your goal to surpass me and L?” Near questions albeit his voice muffled by Mello’s shirt. 

“Well, yeah, but-... Oh just shut up and let me comfort you!” 

Near replied with a soft giggled and snuggled up closer to his “rival”. Eyes slipped closed and small hands gripped the fabric of Mello’s shirt not-too-tightly. “I’m very grateful that you stayed,” a murmur rose in the quiet room.

“That’s just how us good guys work.” A cocky smile arose on the older’s lips as his own eyes closed. A soft and barely delayed scoff came from Near, and Mello was quick to flick his ear. “I can claim the good guy position every once in awhile, can’t I?” No answer. The taller’s eyes opened out of curiousity when no answer came. A smile tugged on his lips when he saw the sleeping figure cuddled up to him. “Goodnight, Near.” He buried his nose in the white locks and whispered, “Love you.”

**Author's Note:**

> I will go down with this ship--
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
